Grambling State Tigers football

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Grambling State Tigers football
AmericanFootball current event.svg 2024 Grambling State Tigers football team
Grambling State Tigers logo.svg
First season1928;97 years ago (1928)
Athletic director Trayvean Scott
Head coach Mickey Joseph
1st season, 5–6 (.455)
Stadium Eddie Robinson Stadium
(capacity: 19,600)
Field surfaceArtificial Turf
Location Grambling, Louisiana
Conference SWAC (since 1958)
DivisionWest
All-time record53423918 (.686)
Bowl record198 (.704)
Claimed national titles15 (Black College): 1955, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2016
Conference titles27
Rivalries Southern
Jackson State
Prairie View A&M
ColorsBlack, gold, and red [1]
     
Website gsutigers.com

The Grambling State Tigers are the college football team representing Grambling State University. The Tigers play in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. They were known as Grambling Tigers until 1973, when the university changed its name from Grambling College to the current one.

Contents

The prominence of Grambling football is longstanding. The Tigers, under Hall of Fame coach Eddie Robinson, who guided them to 408 victories in 55 seasons from 1941 to 1942 and 1945 to 1997, were built as a small-school powerhouse with more than 200 players who played professional football. [2]

On September 24, 1976, Grambling State and Morgan State became the first collegiate football teams from the United States to play a game in the continent of Asia. Grambling State defeated Morgan State 42–16 in Tokyo, Japan. In fall 1977, the Grambling State Tigers were invited back to Tokyo where they defeated the Temple Owls 35–32 in the inaugural Mirage Bowl game. [3]

Among its accomplishments include: 15 Black college football national championships (tied for second most in HBCU history) and 27 Conference Championships (one Midwest Conference & 26 SWAC). The Tigers have won the most SWAC Championships to date. [4]

Football classifications

Conference affiliations

Annual Classics

Championships

Black college football national championship

Grambling State has won fifteen Black college football national championships.

YearCoachOverall record
1955 Eddie Robinson 10–0
1967 9–1
1972|11–2
1974 11–1
1975 10–2
1977 10–1
1980 10–2
1983 8–1–2
1992 10–2
2000 Doug Williams 10–2
2001 10–1
2002 11–2
2005 Melvin Spears 11–1
2008 Rod Broadway 11–2
2016 Broderick Fobbs 12–1

Conference championships

Grambling State has won 27 conference championships, 26 of them in the SWAC. [5] [6] [7]

GSU's 2016 SWAC Championship celebration SWAC Championship GSU vs. Alcorn 24.jpg
GSU's 2016 SWAC Championship celebration
YearConferenceCoachOverall recordConference
1955Midwestern Conference Eddie Robinson 10–02–0
1960Southwestern Athletic Conference*9–16–1
1965Southwestern Athletic Conference8–36–1
1966Southwestern Athletic Conference*6–2–15–1–1
1967Southwestern Athletic Conference9–16–1
1968Southwestern Athletic Conference*9–26–1
1971Southwestern Athletic Conference9–25–1
1972Southwestern Athletic Conference (vacated)11–25–1
1973Southwestern Athletic Conference*10–35–1
1974Southwestern Athletic Conference*11–15–1
1975Southwestern Athletic Conference* (vacated)10–24–2
1977Southwestern Athletic Conference10–16–0
1978Southwestern Athletic Conference9–1–15–0–1
1979Southwestern Athletic Conference*8–35–1
1980Southwestern Athletic Conference*10–25–1
1983Southwestern Athletic Conference10–26–0–1
1985Southwestern Athletic Conference*9–36–1
1989Southwestern Athletic Conference9–37–0
1994Southwestern Athletic Conference*9–36–1
2000Southwestern Athletic Conference Doug Williams 10–26–1
2001Southwestern Athletic Conference11–06–1
2002Southwestern Athletic Conference11–26–1
2005Southwestern Athletic Conference Melvin Spears 11–19–0
2008Southwestern Athletic Conference Rod Broadway 11–27–0
2011Southwestern Athletic ConferenceDoug Williams8–46–3
2016Southwestern Athletic Conference Broderick Fobbs 11–19–0
2017Southwestern Athletic Conference11–27–0

Division championships

Since the division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference into two divisions in 1999, Grambling State has been in the West Division. They have won ten division titles and reached the SWAC Football Championship Game each time.

YearCoachConference CG Result
2000 Doug Williams W 14–6 vs. Alabama A&M
2001 Doug Williams W 38–31 vs. Alabama State
2002 Doug Williams W 31–19 vs. Alabama A&M
2005 Melvin Spears W 45–5 vs. Alabama A&M
2007 Rod Broadway L 31–42 vs. Jackson State
2008 Rod Broadway W 41–9 vs. Jackson State
2011 Doug Williams W 16–15 vs. Alabama A&M
2015 Broderick Fobbs L 21–49 vs. Alcorn State
2016 Broderick Fobbs W 27–20 vs. Alcorn State
2017 Broderick Fobbs W 40–32 vs. Alcorn State

Division I-AA/FCS Playoffs results

The Tigers have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs three times with a record of 0–3.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1980 SemifinalsBoise StateL 9–14
1985 First RoundArkansas StateL 7–10
1989 First RoundStephen F. AustinL 56–59

Division II Playoffs results

The Tigers have appeared in the Division II playoffs one time with an overall record of 1–1.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1973 Quarterfinals (Boardwalk Bowl)
Semifinals (Grantland Rice Bowl)
Delaware
Western Kentucky
W 17–8
L 20–28

College Football Hall of Fame members

Pro Football Hall of Fame members

Over 100 Grambling State alumni have played in the NFL, [8] including four Pro Football Hall of Famers:

Notable former players

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of February 5, 2025. [9]

2025
at Ohio State
Kentucky State
East Texas A&M

See also

References

  1. Grambling State University Logos and Marks (PDF). July 14, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  2. "The 150 greatest coaches in college football's 150-year history". December 10, 2019.
  3. "Back in the day: 40 years ago, Morgan State and Grambling played in Tokyo". September 23, 2016.
  4. "Grambling's Eddie Robinson changed college football and his legacy still impacts the game".
  5. "Conference Champions". Cfbdatawarehouse.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  6. "2015 SWAC Football Media Day by SWAC". issuu. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  7. "Log in to NewsBank".
  8. "Grambling St. Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  9. "Grambling State Tigers Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 7, 2025.